Arizona Miner's Union Insists Strike is About Unfair Labor Practices - Source: The Arizona Daily Star
Union members have been adamant in declaring that the strike by 1,500 workers against Tucson-based Asarco LLC is over unfair labor practices and not contract disputes -- an important distinction that the National Labor Relations Board ultimately makes.
While an economic strike deals with contract disputes, an unfair-labor-practice strike deals with violations that occur before, during or after contract negotiations. If substantiated, such labor violations can require an employer not only to return to the bargaining table but also to guarantee that striking workers cannot be replaced.